|
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
BioMEMS (Biological Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)
MEMS is a term utilized to describe integrated micron-scale devices that combine electrical, mechanical, (and even optical) components. This class of devices was initially developed by the application of planar integrated circuit processing techniques to the creation of 3-dimensional structures that can sense, control, and actuate at the micron scale. Recently, the potential synergy of combining biological systems with MEMS has become apparent, and the term BioMEMS has been used to describe this effort. Indeed, since many biological species are on the same length scale of MEMS devices, the interface between biology and microtechnology encompasses many diverse areas and levels of biological complexity. These include: DNA arrays (genes), immmunoassays (proteins), miniaturized lab-on-a-chips (genes, proteins, and sensors), and finally the integration of live cells (bacterial and mammalian) with semiconductor materials and components. Our efforts in BioMEMS are specifically focused towards integrating microtechnology tools with live mammalian cells for cell biology research and tissue engineering applications. To this end, our projects include:
Research Interests
|
